Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1887-01-21
THE STATES LAWMAKERs.

THE STATES LAWmAKERS.
Bills of More or Less importance I'm
rrodueed IN Yestereay's Half Hour
Session of the Legislature - More
About the Sunday Traffic Biil-The
Grade Crossings Not Forgotten - A
Petition For High License.
HARTFORD, Jan. 90
Especial to the JOURNAL AND CoURIER.l
Connecticut's Solons were in session to-
day not quite thirty minutes and there being
no more business to come before them they
adjourned. 1t may be truly said that the
date for the reception of new business will
have to be extended beyond the time agreed
if business is not pushed. Representative
Hyde of Hartford introduced to-day bill
concerning the much talked of grade cross
Jugs. 1t provides that where railro ad does
not pay dividends the cost of changing a
grade crossing shall be equally borne be-
tween the road and the town, city or borough;
roads paying FIVE per cent dividend shall pay
three-fifths of the cost; those paying over five
per cent. and not over eight seven-tenths; and
those paying over eight four-ffths. The
bill is almost identical with that which pass
ed the House last year but was defeated in
referred to the railroad committee. The
necessity of additional legislation in the
matter of grade crossings has been pointed
out in the annual report of the railroad com
missioners to the present session of the legis-
lature, and the bill presented to-day is the
commissioners plan of reducing grade cross
ings by apportioning the cost according to
dividends paid by railroads. The bill is
compulsory in it's character. The changes
to be made will be so gradual throughout the
State that the expense is scarcely worth con-
sidering in view of the additional safety
afforded the public. The general public in
crest should have more to do with the abol-
ishing of grade crossings than that which is
purely local. The operation of the law framed
according to the new plan will place a COM
paraively light burden on local taxpayers.
1t is thought by many that the bill will meet
with better reception this year than it did
last
Representative Bassett, of Norfolk, intro
iuced bill to-day making the license fees
for the sale of liquors, except by druggists,
not less than $500 or more than $1,000; in
towns of not over 5000 inhabitants the Ii
cense, except for Wholesale dealers and drug
gists, to be $500 for the sale of spirituous
liquors and $3.50 for the sale of ale, lager beer
and cider to be drank on the premises. Lii
censed pharmacists may sell on payment of
license of $25 when a physicians prescrip
ton is given, and this applies to no-license
towns. Another bill recently introduced in
to the Senate, and which will claim the at
tention of the temperance committee on
Tuesday, calls for the closing of ali saloons
between the hours of 10, p. m. and a. m.
There is some doubt expressed as to the
passage of either of the above bills.
A bill was introduced by Representative
Chaffee, of Derby, which will greatly inter
est Grand Army men and it will probably
become a law. It makes it a penal oHense,
fine and imprisonment for any person to
wilfully wear the badge of the Grand Army
of the Republic or use it to obtain assistance,
unless he is entitled to wear it under the
Connecticut, G. A. R. 1t was referred to
the Judiciary committee. If the bill be-
comes a law it will undoubtedly protect
members of the organization from many i'm
posters who now reap harvest by posing as
Grand Army men. The charitable purposes
know do not differ materially from
those of the other secret orders which band
themselves together by social ties and in
works of charity. There are, of course,
signs and grips by which member of the
Grand Army may make hiHaself known to
his associates, but there are possibly many
reasons why loose giving is tolerated. The
bill is a very curious and unusual one.
Lucius P. Deming was to-day appointed
Judge and Rufus S. Pickett assistant judge
of the City court of New Haven. The reso
luton appointing them passed the Senate
yesterday and came up in the House early in
the session to day. 1t went through with
ol h. f-,a of
Judges Deming and Pickett may now ex
tend their congratulations.
The proposed change in the Sunday rail
road traffic as presented in the bill intro
duced in the legislature yesterday is being
much discussed among the members of the
House. Said Senator to day: Il think the
proposed restriction q very proper thing.
The steam cars go rushing by and eur ears
profaned as we sit in our church pews.
It's perfect nuisance and should be stopped.
The settlement of the matter one way or the
other will undoubtedly take place at this
session. Copies of the petition were sent to
New Haven and confided to the care of sew
eral Congregational clergymen, among them
Rev. DIR. Todd of the Church of the Re
1eemer. Rev. Burdett Hart of the First
Congregational church of Fair Haven, and
Rev w. J. Mulch of the Howard avenue
Congregational church. Rev. DIR. Smyth of
the Center church, New Haven, gave
corning Sunday railroad traffic, that
he was in favor of restricting it. He said: 81
believe in it thoroughly. On the standpoint
of relieving large class of men who are af-
fected by Sunday trains from the additional
burdens they impose it is necessary. The
evil is constantly growing and should be
checked in some way" Hartford's Congrega-
tional ministers voice DR.. Smyth's opinion.
Much force will be brought to bear to secure
the passage of yesterdays bill.
The bill recently introduced in the Senate
by Senator Walsh which read: ''No person
admitted to the Hartford hospital the hospi-
tai of the General Hospital society of Con-
necticut of New Haven, the Connecticut
hospital for the insane at Middletown
Fitchs home for soldiers at Darien, shall,
during the time of his being an inmate of
such hospital or home, acquire residence in
the town in which such hospital or home is
situated, but the residence of such person
shall continue in the town where
he resides at the time of his ad
mission to such hospital or home"
has been the cause of much worry among
few of the Democratic members in the
House. The matter will come up before the
committee on judiciary next Tuesday, and it
is expected there will be quite discussion.
The bill has many solid supporters who
knew what they were about when they intro
duced il, and did not have any such malicious
ideas as a few Democratic members of the
House imagine.
The tax commission met to-day, but held
only short session. 1t will make its report
to the legislature before long. There is much
surmising going to what the commits
sion will recommend. The principal matter
passed upon it is understood is the
taxation of personal property and the meth
DDS of making it equitable. 1t may recon-
mend the abolition of personal property tax,
so rumor runs, but it is hardly probable
Such a recommendation, right or wrong,
practicable or impracticable, would be GER
tain of defeat in legislature composed
largely of land owners. It is also said that
the commission will find some way in which
taxes for State purposes could be laid on a
plan which would be equally fair for all the
towns and for each taxpayer in each of them.
lie 4l,o or,nnraiurinn shn1nld favor sr1oh a ,,lan